Lord is gracious, and exulted in the auspicious smiles of the glorious Immanuel, surely you are under ten thousand obligations to live entirely devoted to him, and to glorify him with every breath. O magnify, praise, and extol his name and perfections, and recommend him to all around you, not only with the eloquence of words, but of actions, and use all your influence and endeavours to promote his cause, and advance his kingdom. Instruct, warn, admonish, and reprove, with all holy boldness and incontestible argument, as you have opportunity, without any fear of man, confiding in the Lord Jehovah, for in him only is everlasting strength. Go in the strength of the Lord God, and he will assist, stimulate, and accept you; and who can tell but he may furnish you with a "word in season," and make you the happy instrument of saving a soul from endless death?"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." The seed you sow plentifully in faith and hope, and water with your prayers and tears, may spring up, when you are removed from earthly scenes, and yield a luxuriant increase to the praise of God, What an encouragement is this to active and indefati gable exertions in the cause of Christ!

If we would enjoy religion, let us be explicit and open in our attachment to Immanuel, come out boldly on the Lord's side, manifesting to all that we are not ashamed of the Cross of Christ, and that we can cheerfully endure a sneer or a frown, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than treasures of gold. Even though wolves and lions should impede our progress, let us press forward in the path of duty, "Looking upto Jesus;" for vigorous faith in him will sink mountains into molehills, and overcome difficulties and obstructions almost insu perable." If God be for us, who can be against us ?"

Wishing you a seat at the feet of Jesus, I am yours FANNY WOODBURY.

with sisterly affection,

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO MISS S. P. B. OF LVNFIEld.

Beverly, Aug. 26, 1813.

I Do not feel adequate to the solution of your important queries, but will suggest a few of my own ideas, hoping they will not be incompatable with Scripture. I apprehend a Christian may be disposed to conform to the world, and to partake in its vanities, and even prefer the company of the great and gay to that of the meek and lowly disciples of Christ. But it must be when the gra cious affections of his soul are very low, and all his desires towards God in a lukewarm and languishing state. While he thus conducts, he can have little or no religious comfort, and all who behold his inconsistant and careless walk, have reason to call in question all his former evidences of piety. How dangerous is his state! He complies with one solicitation after another; he allows himself one carnal indulgence after another; conforms to one worldly requisition after another; and still descending with the stream, who knows where it will land him! My dear friend, we are not to go to the world, and see how far it will permit us to follow Christ, and still retain its friendship. No; we have an infallible guide and standard, to which we must resort, which lifts its monitory voice, and cries, "Whosoever will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God." O may we learn to detach our affections from earth, and rivet them on joys unchangea、 ble and immeasurable! Yours affectionately, F. W.

LETTER TO MR D. S. OF BEVERLY, THEN AT

BRADFORD ACADEMY.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Beverly, Sept. 29, 1813.

WITH tender anxiety and growing solicitude for your spiritual welfare, I improve a few hasty moments in writing to you, imploring the Holy Spirit to guide my pen to a word in season, and impress on your heart and conscience the great truths I suggest. The idea that I am addressing an immortal being, fills my soul with holy dread, and urges, irresistibly urges, me to plainness and faithfulness, though I am sensible I can say nothing but what has been already said to you.

You observe, (ah! my mind revolts at the thought!) you observe," I am fighting against God." Woe, wo unto him that striveth with his Maker! Has not God given you life, and has he not crowned this life with a plenitude of mercies? Has he not been your Preserver from infancy to the present moment, delivering you from imminent dangers, seen and unseen, when there was apparently but a step between you and endless death? * Has he not opened the gate of heaven, and exhibited the glories of the upper world, and offered them to your acceptance, "without money and without price?" Has he not discovered to you the heart-rending miseries of the infernal pit, the awful and inevitable portion of all who die in their sins, and besought you to flee for refuge to the shadow of his wings? And now, as a return for all his favours and mercies, you hate him ;-a worm of yester◄ day, rebelling against the Majesty of heaven; that Being

He was in danger of drowning. See p. 131.

who is the centre of all perfection, glory, and excellence; the source of all felicity, the fountain of living waters, the giver of every good and perfect gift, who sways the sceptre of universal dominion, having all creatures and things under his controul;-whom cherubim, and seraphim, angels and archangels, and all the glorious spirits of the redeemed love, extol, and worship, and before whose throne they cast their crowns in adoring wonder; ascribing all blessedness, might, power, dominion, and glory to one vast and universal concert of praise ;-that Being, whose potent arm can crush ten thousand worlds, and sink his opposers into the abyss of woe! O then, rush not on " the thick bosses of his buckler," and provoke not his direful indignation. Throw down the weapons of your rebellion, and submit to his righteous government. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee." "Agree with thine adversary quickly whiles thou art in the way with him," lest sudden destruction overtake you, and there be none to deliver. The bleeding Lamb of God will soon appear as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, roaring for his prey, pouring anguish, despair, and wrath, in one impetuous torrent on all those who would not have him to reign over them. He now sits on a mercy-seat, and in the most alluring accents invites you to his arms; but soon he will ascend his dread tribunal, and then he will consign all his incorrigible enemies to the mansions of despair. From those dreary abodes they cast their mournful eyes across the impassable gulf, and, viewing the golden harps and immortal crowns of Paradise, their souls are filled with keener anguish, and the tormenting reflection of what they have procured by their wretched folly, stings them to agony, madness, and rage,

No

drop of water cools their scorched tongues; no beam of consolation sooths their harrowed spirits; no ray of hope mitigates the horror and darkness of their prison! O my friend, are you travelling that broad road that conducts to all this misery? Change your course, then, I beseech you; change your course instantly. Escape for your life from this devoted Sodom; look not behind you; slacken not your pace, till you reach the place of safety. Do you feel poor, and wretched, and miserable, and blind, and naked? Go then to the sinner's Friend, and, at the foot of the blood-besprinkled cross, find a tranquil refuge for your weary soul. Go to Gilead's Physician, give yourself up to his care, submit to his directions, follow his prescriptions, and your diseased soul will be in health and prosper. I entreat you to fly from impending wrath to the only ark of safety. By the goodness, forbearance, and mercy of God-by the tremendous scenes exhibited in Gethsemane and Golgotha-by all the endearing promises of the gospel-by the heart-appalling thunders of Sinai-by the unutterable worth of your never dying soul-by the solemnities of death, judgment, and eternity-by all that is glorious in heaven, and dreadful in hell-I conjure you this moment to renounce your sins, believe in Christ, and make a cordial and unreserved surrender of yourself to him. Remember the Spirit will not always strive: Christ will not always stand and knock: God will not always wait to be gra dious. You have had many monitory calls, many precious opportunities, many kind invitations; and, if you do not improve them, you may never have any more; you may provoke God to take his Spirit from you, and leave you to walk in the sight of your own eyes, and af ter the imagination of your heart. This is the precious,